Calgary Pride to leave BLM graffiti on downtown rainbow crosswalk

A Pride crosswalk was spray painted in Calgary again over the weekend, but this time the message won’t be removed.

While Calgary’s rainbow crosswalks have been the targets of hateful, anti-LGBTQ2S+ rhetoric in the past, the message left on the crosswalk at Stephen Avenue and Centre Street was in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

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Calgary Pride became aware of the “BLM” that was spray painted onto the crosswalk in black paint, and wrote a message on Twitter on Sunday night stating their intent to leave the writing as it was.

BLM message in downtown Calgary (Chandler Walter/Daily Hive)

“Calgary Pride has been made aware of the BLM spray paint on the rainbow crosswalk downtown. We’ve requested that it not be touched or changed for the time being. The Pride movement was born inside the courage of Black Trans folks who fought back in the face of oppression,” the tweet states.

“Calgary Pride supports the BLM movement and message. Black Lives Matter. Indigenous Lives Matter. Trans Lives Matter. Their stories matter and they cannot be erased.”

Calgary Pride supports the BLM movement and message.
Black Lives Matter. Indigenous Lives Matter. Trans Lives Matter. Their stories matter and they cannot be erased. #BlackLivesMatter#IndigenousLivesMatter#TransLivesMatter

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(Photo credit: @Crackmacs) pic.twitter.com/xJX8CUYX9i

— Calgary Pride (@CalgaryPride) September 28, 2020

Transgender Flag crosswalk in downtown Calgary (Chandler Walter/Daily Hive)

The Transgender Pride flag crosswalk located across the street was not spray painted, though a map board near the intersection also sported #BLM graffiti in the shadow of the Calgary Tower.

BLM message in downtown Calgary (Chandler Walter/Daily Hive)

The Calgary Police Service stated in a phone call with Daily Hive that they are aware of the incident and are reviewing it to determine whether they will launch a formal investigation.